Pairings:
SasuNaru/ Magnet Shipping
ItaDei/ Black & White Shipping (Guess who's here!)
FugaMiko/ Persona Shipping
KyuuMina/ Seal Shipping
Why did this take so long? Three words:
Fuck. My. Life.
Summary: The Half Moon Celebration is over and done with, but Orochimaru isn't. However, with Naruto struggling to regain his powers and fit in the modern world and lack of communication from the Celestial Gods, Sasuke will need the help of the past to keep the world at peace and unknowing of the chaos that could descend upon it.
Warnings: Language, shounen-ai, suicide tw (if you are someone who needs to be aware of this warning, please message me and I'll give you a clean version), an extra long chapter with quite a few (hopefully welcome) surprises to make up for my lack of updates, and a whole new change of scenery~
Also, I think I made the first part sound really, really formal. xD
Edited and Revised: 5/2/16
Shadow = 4 Hours (2 Shadows = 8 Hours) *Think of how as the sun moves, so do shadows. Basically, the people of the "past" count the distance of placement of a shadow with each hour and had named it shadow.
My eyes gazed towards the sky, glancing with interest over the little dots that my tribe believes to be the souls of our ancestors. There were none of the oddly shaped wisps of dust in the sea of the above, so nothing obscured my view of the forever standstill circles known as dawn and dusk.
The many colors of the luminous circles graced the sky with a welcoming smile towards the never-ending day and night. Their brilliant glow peeked through the peaks and valleys of the small mounds of dirt that surrounded our camp. If I listened very closely, straining my ear to hear above the strange voice that whispered strange things, I could faintly hear the excited chirping of day-dwellers and the drowsy yawns of the night-dwellers as they retreated to the darker areas of the plane.
I felt a smile try to place itself on my lips, but I refused it. The others would be waking soon and I was in no mood to hear their taunts.
'Minato the Weak' they call me. Brutes, they are. I might be one of the smallest warriors of this tribe, but considering that I, and only I, was able to claim the title as the swift and most agile, they would do well to stay silent. I do not wish to be a braggart or appear as one who believes that they deserve everything the sun or moon touches for one small detail, but it is quite hard to live in a world that does not appear to need you.
No one to call my sire or mistress, no one to call a brother or sister, and certainly no one to call a friend. If I am not being needlessly bullied or forced to perform outrageous exercises that do not sit well with my thin form, I am ignored. Whatever I would do in a day, the others could very easily do in a shadow. I am simply not needed by anything or anyone.
I felt my face tighten and my hands fist as this thought rang through my mind. Even if it weren't true, I am completely assured that it would weigh quite heavily in my mind regardless.
Then, a gentle feeling caressed my face as a branch of a nearby tree grew suddenly to meet my face. It stopped short of my nose. Several small flower buds sprouted and slowly bloomed into a beautiful group of flowers right before my eyes. was and a small leaf fluttered in front of me only to stop and hover in front of eyes.
I let out a small breathy laugh as I carefully picked the flowers from the branch and held their soft petals between my fingers. I looked around carefully, no one seemed to be up. Comforted by the privacy, I brought the flowers to my nose, engaging myself in their lovely scent. These flowers are my favorite... I thought we would leave our camping site before they finally bloomed. I am... truly happy.
I blinked when I saw a small shadow. And another. And another!
I looked up. Petals from an above flowering branch were falling over me, some fluttering around to the ground and some landing in my sun-kissed hair. Reaching a hand upwards, I grasped a petal in my nimble fingers and brought it back down to my face and blew hard on it, making it blow out of my hand and spun wildly around me again. A familiar warmth grazed my bare shoulders and this time, I could not deny the smile.
Well… maybe there is someone who needs me.
Sunrise
~Itachi's POV~
As I watched my little brothers fidget ever so often in his seat all the while sneaking glances at the small book bag that he sat on his lap, I couldn't keep the growing smirk from my face. I hid it with a well-placed left hand that leaned on the door by its elbow. The movement caught his eye and he turned his head to face me, bottom lip slightly swollen from that 'kiss' dear Naruto had oh so happily told me about. (Do I live to tease my brother? Well, of course. I am his older sibling; it is simply what we do.)
My garments were composed of a black shirt with absolutely nothing on it as well as black pants that barely made it past my ankles. Forgive me, but I did not feel like dressing up as my little brother had (who wore a red shirt over a black sweater with blue jeans and grey scarf around his neck - honestly, my little brother was such a hipster). Our coats, as black as night, were piled in the seat between us.
He glared at me, knowing full and well what I was thinking about. I merely waved him off with a flippant hand wave. I was in no particular mood to egg him on when there was something tremendously serious was going underfoot. If I could blurt out what it was to Naruto and Sasuke, I would do so in a heartbeat but Lord Minato himself had sworn me to secrecy.
I can only pray that Lord Minato's plan will be kind to my precious little brother.
I saw my little brother raise an eyebrow at my attitude before turning his attention elsewhere. He probably figured I'd tell him in a much more private place. Looking outside the window, I watched the ever vibrant shades of green and brown known as nature give way to the boring greys of the human race. We had finally reached the base of the mountain Konohagakure called home.
I turned my attention back to the front just in time to hear, "Fugaku, can you take the next exit? I need to stretch my legs." My Mother, Mikoto, asked softly, her right hand pointed at the upcoming exit sign. Father grunted, but he did navigate the car so that we'd enter the exit lane.
It wasn't long before we pulled over into a gas station. The building was small, but I could tell from the many shelves that there was truck loads of snacks that could be found inside. It had a large overhead roof to shield those under it from the falling snow. It however did not shield us from the cold, I was amused to note as I stepped out the car and was instantly slammed by the cool air.
The sky was dark with many clouds that sprinkled large clumps of snow onto the Earth's dry soil. It was so dark that not even the brightest streetlight or car light could penetrate the darkness. I did not mistake the occasional boom of thunder nor flash of lightning from a distance. Nor did I mistake the harsh thrashing of the trees as they swayed vulnerably against the wind.
I mistook none of this as a simple thing of nature. It was too dark for such a thing considering it was early noon.
Sasuke also took note of the sky, as he glanced at it occasionally with trepidation as he carefully lifted his book bag out of his lap and moved to carry it over to a group of three bench tables that were covered in snow and ice. Once at the table, he turned his back towards the car and sat down.
Mother's boots crunched the snow underneath her as she padded over to my side. Once she was standing shoulder to shoulder with me, I took the chance appreciate her appearance. She wore a lovely woolen, creme jacket that framed her body down to the back of her knees. For a shirt, she wore a simple white sweater and for bottoms, beige pants that bottomed out into beige boots with flowery designs expertly embroided into the cloth. Her wispy black hair was held back into a messy ponytail by a brown flower clasp. Her face was one of maternal worry.
I said nothing about it. Mother wouldn't talk about her personal feelings unless she started the conversation herself. She was self-conscience when it came to her feelings.
"…Sasuke… he's been acting strange ever since we left." I didn't say anything once more. Replying too early shied the target away from the point of their worry.
"… No, it was before that. He has been acting strange ever since we went to Konoha, hasn't he?" She looked at me, her eyes begging me to give her an acceptable answer about her youngest son. I inwardly narrowed my eyes. I love my mother, never doubt that, but I needed to be sure of how much she knew. If she knew more than she was supposed to, then it would be my duty to pick apart that knowledge until she didn't believe it anymore. I do not want Lord Minato to find a reason to silence my mother.
I quirked my right eyebrow upwards, "How so?"
She scowled slightly, turning her face back towards Sasuke. She licked her lips a couple times, hesitating to voice her concern. "… I'm not sure really. It was just… when I told him that I was feeling better, his face got a little colder. As if he didn't want me to be better." Her face and tone became hurt towards and I found myself inwardly face palming. Sasuke was adequate at hiding his true emotions from anyone but family. Thinking quickly, a lie came cleanly off the tip of my tongue.
"I'm sure he was just enjoying himself on the vacation, Mother. You have seen him engage quite happily with the villagers, have you not?" As I talked I could see the worry and pain ease away slowly; I was getting to her. "He probably just didn't want to leave after being used to Konohagakure and its residents for so long. Don't worry about him, he's fine."
She licked her lips again, before nodding. Mother had found my lie acceptable as an explanation. After giving a soft reminder to tell Sasuke to be back in the car after a few more minutes, she walked off towards the station, most likely to look for Father.
As soon as her footsteps had fully faded away, I made my way over to Sasuke's side at the bench. My eyes instantly caught the peaceful expression on his face as his fingers petted the inside of his book bag. It's been a long time since I've seen such tranquility on Sasuke's face.
"Did Mother ask about me?" He inquired, not bothering to look up at me.
"Yes. You should train yourself to hide your emotions a bit more. She thought you were not happy about her recovery." This time, Sasuke turned to face me. His face was tight with tension. He moved to get up.
"I should go apolo-"
"Already taken care of." I cut in. Sasuke gave me a questioning look before he nodded once and went back to petting the inside of his book bag. I crossed my arms and leaned against the table. "How is he?"
"He's shaking..." My little brother was frowning slightly and I did as well. It appears he wasn't adjusting to the cooler temperatures as well as we had initially hoped. Before I could suggest a solution, Sasuke was already extracting a pale yellow fox the size of a laptop from his bag.
It was shaking heavily and seemed to be glaring at Sasuke for taking him out of the warmth of the bag. Sasuke paid no mind as he silently unzipped his coat and placed the kit in the empty space available. Almost immediately, the fox changed its tune and began snuggling against his chest, eliciting another peaceful expression from Sasuke.
I couldn't stop myself from chuckling; my little brother was absolutely whipped. Sasuke's onyx narrowed into a glare, most likely guessing what I was thinking. I focused my attentions on the fox that was looking around curiously.
"I would've thought that Naruto would be trying to escape the bag at every waking moment." Hearing my voice refocused Naruto's blue eyes on me, but he regarded me for a brief second before turning away to stare at the fluorescent-lit gas station sign and yip quietly at it. I smile inwardly; his childish curiosity was rather refreshing in this family filled with statues and porcelain masks.
"I told him that I would take him exploring later." I raised an eyebrow.
"In the forest?"
"The city." This time I raised both of them. Sasuke was taking Naruto on a tour through Oto? Hasn't Sasuke thought about Orochimaru? After all, the man does have the headquarters of his company as well as his house in Oto. I couldn't keep the annoyed scowl off my face. My brother couldn't be anymore foolish than he was being right now.
I flicked my brother in the forehead, eliciting a playful yip from the fox and another glare from my brother.
"For the love of- I'm not planning on going anywhere near Orochimaru if that's what that flick was for," He snarled, eye twitching. Naruto started to growl along with him, but it was most likely from the mention of Orochimaru's name then what we were talking about. I opened my mouth to refute my brother's retaliation when I saw Mother and Father exiting the store through the peripherals of my left eye.
Sasuke noticed this too for he was now ushering a resisting Naruto back into the bag. Once Naruto was safely inside the bag once more, Sasuke stood up and grabbed it. I had watched the entire sequence with a tense posture and I decided to take this moment to grab his shoulder, drawing his attention.
I licked my lips apprehensively. This was a very delicate subject that I am not completely sure on how to explain to my brother without the many limitations placed upon me. A few moments had passed before I sighed and finally said, "I won't try to stop you from making such a stupid decision, but be careful. Someone as powerful as Orochimaru is bound to have eyes and ears wherever he can put them."
I didn't wait for him to respond to turn around and head back to the car where Mother and Father were waiting inside. I felt Mother's inquisitive stare as I buckled myself in and Sasuke slid into the car, but she didn't say anything. Inwardly, I mentally noted myself to diffuse Mother's wonder once more, in a more complete manner. She was highly superstitious having come from a small town where everyone feared the demons of the nether. Anything supernatural was bound to peak her interest and she would refuse to let it go until she knew for sure what it was. It used to be an endearing part of her personality in my younger days, but now, under the possible threat of the sky ruler's wrath, it was a death sentence that I was determined to rid her of.
Father's eyes looked between Sasuke and me, his rotten glare as silly as the others before and after it. I paid it no mind. The man wouldn't believe in any type or form of myth or fantasy even if Lord Minato parted the skies and let holy light flood over only his person. He was, in fact, one of the first to call the entire Half Moon Christmas festival a scam soon after we had returned to our temporary lodgings.
The sound of the revving engine was dulled by the silence that prevailed inside the car. Any other family would probably be joking, laughing at their latest adventures from vacation and reminiscing over their favorite parts.
We wouldn't. We would let the cold, suffocating atmosphere take over the entire car. Not even Naruto's soft rustling was enough to fight off the dominating quiet in the car.
~Sasuke's POV~
Pulling into the driveway of our home, I was struck with a feeling. It was not of one of being happy to be home one or even of homesickness being relieved. It was one of disgust and being trapped in a cage.
I had never liked being here because my father would use it as a prison for me; one I frequently escaped only to return to higher security and less holes for even a mouse to crawl through. The only time I find being under this roof bearable is when mother asks me to perform a task with her- the only time I can forget the frigid atmosphere this mansion carries. Thinking about it a bit more, Naruto, being the free spirit he is, probably wouldn't enjoy being forced under the stifled air of the Uchiha mansion for any longer than I can.
It was very large (or extremely huge according to some of my friends from school) with equally large grounds for many activities that switched up depending on the time of year. Regardless, there was a lot of space in the back that was mostly used for social parties and gatherings. On the far back left side was a medium-sized lake with two large willows drooping over it that I'm positive Naruto would love.
The smooth, pitch black driveway was circular with a large, stone fountain with rushing water that was warmed periodically over the course of the day to prevent it from being frozen. Around the perimeter of the fountain were small shrubs that would burst into gradients of blue during spring and summer.
The mansion itself had gray-black brick walls with a couple beige-white stones for the corners and accents. Even though it had many windows that let it tons of light, they were blocked by thick curtains. Tall trees and short bushes were aligned in a systematically manner with not a single branch or twig out of place; the gardeners must have been working overtime. Too bad their work might be nothing if one would just take a look at the dark clouds that were rolling in.
The mansion is on the outskirts of Otogakure, but close enough to where the sounds and skyscrapers of the bustling city can be heard and seen. Very few wandered this way unless they were family or had business here. The entire structure was just flat-out intimidating for those who didn't grow up within its walls. Even Mother winced a little when she looked up at it for more than moment. Father, however, was a statue. I couldn't help but stare at the back of his head as he parked the car in front of the entrance. He hasn't said much of anything ever since the festival. Not a quip or an insult, or even just an order.
It was… strange. Honestly, after everything that I've witnessed, I can't get over the feeling of suspicion over Father's behavior. Was he just holding his opinion in until he got home or was there something far more sinister going on? Maybe he was just feeling uneasy? I guess that could be it. Father normally acts disoriented when arriving at different places after long absences.
I stole a look at Itachi who was giving his phone fleeting glances (he was probably texting Deidara). Normally, if something was terribly off, Itachi would already know about it and have some sort of plan already in motion that he wouldn't tell me about until the very last needed step has been taken and nothing can stop him. Feeling my eyes on him, he turned his head to me with an inquisitive eyebrow raised.
What?
I stared at him for a while before shrugging.
Nothing.
He blinked and let out an inaudible snort before turning his head around to face the outside.
Liar.
Just like that, the brief, unheard conversation was over.
I had practically ran to my room and had actually gotten lost (how long has it been since I was in my home for longer than two hours?). My luggage would be taken up by the maids; even then, the most important one as the one I held tightly to my chest.
When I had finally reached my door, I flung it open and then slammed it shut. I fell backwards against it, letting out a deep breath I didn't know I was holding in. Finally, I can relax a little.
"That entrance of yours was rather cute, Sasuke." I froze in place as my eyes darted around the darkness that clouded my room when the light was flicked on, causing me to groan as my eyes painfully adjusted to the contrast. I leveled a sneer to my brother's blank face as he sat squarely on my bed, clearly having sat there for a while.
"Goddamn- Itachi, how'd you get here before me?"
"Unlike you, little brother, I had actually taken the time to know where my room is. You know. Across the hall from yours." His eyes gained a playful glint while he said that.
This answer only made my scowl even darker. "Don't you have something better to do in your room, then?"
The glint left behind and his expression became wary.
"I'm afraid that is not the case, Sasuke," He patted the place beside him as an invitation that I took with caution. Father wasn't the only one who has been acting strange. After releasing Naruto from the confines of the book bag, I took the offered spot.
Naruto, now able to move about in his human form, was stretching himself on the ground while warily eyeing the furniture in my room. I hope he doesn't think it fit to scratch them - he had seemed to gain the annoying habit a week ago out of stress. I'd really rather not come home from school only to find my drawing pads in shreds.
Trying to ignore the inner horrified wail I was giving at the mental picture "So?"
"We can't talk just yet." Itachi shrugged and pulled out his phone to look at it. He sighed as he moved his gaze from the phone to the door. "He said he'd be here by now."
I blinked owlishly at my brother. He? What did he mean by- my posture slackened as I narrowed Itachi down with a bland stare. "You invited him over."
Itachi had the decency to avoid my gaze. "It's been a while since I saw him face to f-"
"You invited him over." I repeated.
"I had asked him to watch Orochimaru and now he's just coming to repo-"
"You. Invited. Him. Over."
Itachi sighed exasperatedly, finally giving in. "Yes. I invited him over."
"Itachi!" I hissed exasperatedly. "The last time he came over, he blew up the left side of the mansion!"
"Oh, you never liked the left side anyway."
"He can blow up my room!"
"Oh, you're barely here anyway."
"Not the point."
"What are Sasuke and 'achi speaking over? Who is he? He wants to know!" Naruto suddenly butted into our conversation after having enough of watching us go back and forth. He had never seemed to stick Itachi's name with his face and ended up giving him a crude nickname that made Itachi cringe every time it was uttered. I won't deny the satisfaction it gives me nor deny my occasional calling of my older brother by the abhorred name.
While Itachi was muttering under his breath about properly teaching Naruto his name, I took the time to answer him. "We're talking about Itachi's fiancé, Deidara."
Naruto blinked. "What is 'fonsi'?"
I frowned, trying to think of the right words to explain the term in a way Naruto would understand. "It's-"
I was abruptly cut off when my door slammed open and banged against the wall near it. Great, he wasn't even here for more than three seconds and already I want to drop my head in my hands and go to my happy place. Itachi didn't seem to care that my wall was now severely damaged (I'm not even going to mention the state of my doorknob) as his face lit up with a small smile.
"Deidara."
The wickedly smiling blond in the middle of my doorway waved exaggeratedly despite us only being three feet away from each other. "Hey Itachi~. I've got the info you wanted, un."
I flinched as my eyes looked over Deidara's chosen array of clothing, or rather, the most annoying and eye-catching explosion of color you'll ever see. The man, twenty-three years old, had long blond hair that he usually kept in a high ponytail and a long band that framed the left side of his face. To hold the band back from his blue-grayish eyes, Deidara had a rainbow of hair clips that kept most of the bang back. His shirt was a yellow-orange-red gradient with one strap on the right shoulder.
On his left, the strap of a gray t-shirt could be seen as well as at the bottom of gradient shirt as it was supposed to be an accent. A black tie (?) was lazily tied around Deidara's neck and had… staples (?)… stapled (?) into its left bottom side.
On his arms and hands were bandages that I've never seen off Deidara's hands as well as many different-colored bracelets as Deidara could put on his arms. Deidara kept separated by dubbing one arm the 'hot' arm and the other the 'cold' arm (I honestly don't get it, but then I don't really like nor have I ever been for coloring. Sketching with an ordinary lead pencil is just fine with me). His pants' true color was white, but with all the spots and splashes of paint and clay, you probably wouldn't see it. His ensemble was finished off with a simple pair of black sneakers, but I knew that it was only a matter of time before they, too, got the 'color treatment' as Deidara once proudly stated once.
All in all, the man was an eye-sore to look at. Itachi knows my less-than–impressive thoughts on the man, but he always just retorts that Deidara thinks I'm too 'monochrome' and that I don't 'appreciate the true beauty of art'. He often teases me and mocks my art by calling it 'stale' or saying it 'doesn't contain any life or energy'. I often respond that his art is too flashy and that there's no point to his art except to just be a pain to the eye.
As you can probably guess, we do not like each other. And now… this man has pictures of me cuddling Naruto in my sleep. Because of my demon older brother.
Life is wonderful.
Naruto's own eyes were scanning over Deidara in some sort of awestruck horror- I don't think he's ever seen such clothing before (most if not all the Konoha villagers wore dark, earthy colors). Cautiously, he crept on his hands and knees forward to sniff at one of Deidara's hands, causing Deidara to raise an eyebrow.
"This is that demigod you told me about? He really doesn't look like much, un." Upon hearing the last statement, Naruto pulled an irritated face and growled lowly at Deidara. The other blond just gave him a lazy smile. "Oh, you have some spunk do ya? I like that." While Naruto continued to stare at Deidara with confusion on his face, Deidara took the time to playfully ruffle Naruto's hair.
"That's great, Monochrome could use a bit of an explosion in his life." Then, Deidara actually took a good look at Naruto's clothing (which consisted of the robe that I had found him in that he absolutely refused to throw away). "… Though, you're in desperate need of new clothes, un!"
He grabbed the frozen Naruto and turned to face Itachi while his face was twisted in a terrible stupor. "Itachi, you of all people should know better than to let such a fashion travesty occur!"
Itachi looked away in mock shame as Deidara continued to berate him. As I continued to look at Naruto's clothing, I did have to admit that the style did not really fit Naruto all too well. Kakashi and Iruka's disguise for Naruto was far better and I'm sure that if Deidara got his way, Naruto would end up in clothing similar to that. Deidara fancied himself a fashion designer.
His style of making clothing was well-known for being one-of-a-kind as he often made (exceedingly well-made, I will admit) sculptures of his clients and then made little outfits for the sculptures to model and allow his clients to choose from those. Once chosen, he and his client would fine-tune the outfit and Deidara would get to work on the life-size version. When that was done, Deidara offered the clay sculpture at sale price to go along with the outfit(s). Even though his own array of clothing left much to be desired, in my opinion, some of the ensembles that he had designed have really been top-of-the-charts material.
It's because of this, Deidara will sometimes get high-end clients - clients who frequently talked with or about Orochimaru and his business in his shop.
However, now is so not the time for 'fashion travesties'.
Slapping Deidara's hand away, I ordered, "The information you got on Orochimaru?"
The other raised an eyebrow before plopping his ass down into Itachi's lap (no comment). "And who are you to demand that from me, Monochrome?"
"Itachi-nii had you collect in-" I was suddenly cut off when by Naruto who harshly pulled at my shirt. When I turned to look at him, I was surprised to see him look so agitated what with him baring his teeth at me and upward-pointed ears.
"Wh-"
"He still does not know 'fonsi'!" He pointed at Deidara who looked at the finger with bemusement and slight befuddlement.
"Is he Deid'ra or fonsi? He wants to know! He smells of 'Achi and of earth so must be friend. He wants to know friend." Ugh, I had forgotten that I still hadn't explained 'fiance' to him. Though, I can't really see why Naruto has such an emphasis put on knowing who Deidara is after he had roughly handled him.
"Pft, 'Deid'ra', un? My name is Deidara. I am no 'fonsi', whatever that is, un. Though, I can definitely tell who 'Achi is." Deidara smiled in an amused way, crossing his arms and leaning into Itachi's chest.
While I could see Itachi's eye twitch slightly at the nickname, he was the one to answer Deidara (because the man sure as hell won't listen to me).
"Naruto means "fiancé". He hasn't gotten the hang of the words of the present just yet."
Deidara raised an eyebrow. "So what? He talks cavemen?"
"No. He can talk just fine the way he is. As long as he's comfortable with the way he speaks, it doesn't matter." I cut in, annoyed with Deidara's brush off of Naruto. I know Naruto didn't particularly care for people's opinions (mostly because he didn't find it interesting to translate their insults into his dialect), but that doesn't mean he should be insulted for something he can't help. And after seeing Naruto smiling slightly at me, I can assume that he took Deidara's words harder than most criticism against his speech.
"… Deidara." Naruto said lowly, his blue eyes were focused hard on the other blond. The other didn't seem to care too much since all he did was huff and lean further against Itachi's chest. Naruto and I leaned against the wall with Naruto's tail snaked securely around my right leg.
"So, do you want the info or not, un?"
Itachi wasn't put off by Deidara's annoyance. "Yes, start when ready."
Deidara huffed once more and closed his eyes. "I didn't get much because Orochimaru was still out of town when you told me to keep up with him. However, I got some business with the Yakushi family three days ago."
I blinked in surprise, making Naruto whine curiously at me. I was too lost in thought to tell him what I knew of the Yakushi so he pulled on my shirt.
"Are Yakushi important?" He asked, looking between Itachi, Deidara, and I.
Deidara laughed mockingly. "Oh, they're more than just important, foxy~ un."
"Deidara." Itachi chastised slightly. The blond chuckled but didn't comment further.
Relinquishing my glare on him, I turned to respond to Naruto. "They're known for producing the greatest medics in our time and have made over twenty vaccines for various illnesses in the last century."
He looked like he had understood most of my explanation but… "… medics?"
"Healers."
"Oh - Yakushi heal the sick and wounded? Vacinines are their herbs and spells?" Naruto inquired, nodding to himself on his reasoning. I shook my head.
"Not exactly…"
"There's word on the streets that they kidnap people to test their vaccines and experiments on. A lot of those people were never seen again and have supposedly died. Some did come back, but they were extremely haunted and depressed. They ended up killing themselves due to the trauma." Itachi added, causing everyone to look at him.
"Killed themselves?" Naruto's voice was twisted with distress. I can't imagine him understanding the concept of suicide since… he's immortal and all, but even then, thinking about going through an experience that made you despair so much that you wanted you to kill yourself is… incredibly unsettling.
"Yeah, the Yakushi. Keep up, foxy." Deidara ignored the growl he received (I cannot specify if it was from me or Naruto) and continued on. "From what I've heard from lacing some of my model statues with microphones was something about a 'Celestial Realm', un. In order to get to it, they needed a fox…"
The designer took this time to open his eyes and point at Naruto. "I'm supposing that fox is you, huh, foxy?"
I frowned. "That doesn't make sense. Naruto's jewel allowed him to visit and leave the Celestial Realm as well control his powers. Orochimaru destroyed the jewel at the Half Moon Celebration."
Beside me, Naruto frowned. I looked at him apologetically for mentioning the Half Moon Celebration but he didn't seem to notice it. Deidara shrugged, not appearing to care about the world and the possibility of it ending. "Not my issue to figure out the whys and why nots, all I did was get the info."
… Get this man out of my sight before I choke him.
Later on that night, I was lying on my back and staring at Naruto. Itachi and Deidara had retired to Itachi's room soon after Deidara's forced out of me Naruto's measurements ("Leave it to me, Monochrome! Foxy is going to look stunning, un!").
The rest of the day had been spent with Naruto and I trying to sneak food from the kitchens to my room so I wouldn't have to constantly go back and forth throughout the day just to feed Naruto. I hadn't wanted to bring Naruto along at first, but he was insistent on helping.
Once that was done, I had Naruto change out of his clothes into something that wouldn't cause people to look at him strangely. While my clothes fluctuate between being tight and loose on him, we eventually settled on some gray sweat pants and a black shirt.
Long shadows crawled up my walls and over the shadow Naruto cast and I could hear the faint sound of a train outside. Naruto was up as always staring out the window into the night. While I could spy the ever-present sadness in his eyes, they were also bright with curiosity as he concentrated on the lights of Otogakure. His ears twitched at every sound, taking in the noises he had never heard before.
He looked less haunted than he did back in Konoha and… I wanted to make it so he never felt that devastated again. I want to see his goofy smile light up the room like it did before his jewel was shattered.
"Hey…" He turned to me, bright curiosity clear in his eyes. "Do you want to go somewhere with me?"
~Minato's POV~
"Except for you. Minato."
Kyuubi's had narrowed ruby eyes that burned with fury. Too bad my ice blue was simply unmeltable.
"I do not recall ever giving you permission to utter my name." I pushed against his chest, making him loose his hold over my shoulders. I took the opportunity to quickly turn and walk away. I knew I would not be able to warp myself out – Kyuubi would simply use his magic to cancel out mine. Not far behind me, I could hear his angry stomping as he vehemently tried to keep up to my fast pace.
"Minato! You of all the Gods should very well know what would happen if Naruto was to leave Konoha! He is –"
"A puppet." I cut in, finally turning around to face the ruler of the Celestial Gods. He stopped short and nearly tripped at my sudden stop. When he managed to get back on his feet, he nailed me with a confused glare.
"What are you tal-"
"Naruto is a doll you fashioned from the fragments of my mortal body and given my own blood to bring him to life. It was because of that, the rest of the Celestial Gods and Goddesses shunned him as they had shunned me for having mortal origins. And it's because of his origins that he could easily be bound to the mortal realm once you realized the mistake you had made. A mistake that you didn't bother to right until it was too late." I bit out, scowling with great disdain. Thinking of the entire event left a bitter taste in my mouth for it only showed how shallow these Spirits are when faced with trouble.
The Celestial Gods and Goddesses like to pretend and gloat about how they are higher than the humans they had created for pure amusement, but they forget that humans are modeled after themselves. Their greed, pride, and selfishness come from the traits the Celestial Spirits themselves parade with.
Just look around, look at how the Spirits try to out best each other with the better homes. How they conjure them to be tall and full of trinkets of gold and silver, how they strut around in bejeweled robes and accessory and how they would try to impress one another with items and objects that truly have no real value. How they often mock me for my lacking attributes as well as the things I refuse to appreciate "properly" and how poorly I treat "my lordship Kyuubi".
Alas, regardless of the realm I cannot escape the foolishness completely, but at least here I not only hold the second highest ranking but I can seclude myself in a self-sustaining pocket of space. But even that can be invaded by the one Spirit who is of higher power than myself.
"It is true that Naruto is a creation of your body and blood and my own magic," Kyuubi began, looking composed once more. "However, unlike you, Naruto's creation led to a great tragedy - one that required him as a sacrifice, Minato. You may have a great control and influence over the others, but none over me."
Kyuubi leaned into my face, so close that our noses were nearly touching. His breath tickled my chin as he spoke his next words. "You would do well to remember that."
Then he began to walk away, most likely believing that what he said will stick and needs no further words. Usually, I would let him walk. As only the consort of the ruler of the Celestial Spirits, I only had so much to go against his already brimming power not to mention I had no intentions of going up against just about everyone including him.
However, this was one thing I refuse to let go. Not this time.
"If you truly consider his existence a mistake, then you are even more egotistical than I gave you credit for."
Kyuubi stopped and turned his head over his shoulder to stare at me, his face was cool but his eyes were alight with anger. He was warning me to back down before I said something I would regret. I felt my hands clench at my sides before I began to walk briskly towards his form, all the while continuing. "And just because he was originally nothing to begin with, does not make him any less of one deserving respect and love and a chance to share his own thoughts."
Kyuubi turned around fully to face me when we were only a few meters apart, his eyes looking down at me. For a moment we were silent. Then, he said, "Strange you of all Spirits would say that. Regardless, I have never said anything about not loving Naruto, Arashi."
I shook my head. "I find myself doubting that, especially when you treat him so callously." I whispered, finally in front of Kyuubi.
Kyuubi stared at my face. "Are you really continuing with this? It is particularly noted that you were the biggest one against Naruto leaving for the mortal realm. All of this… nonsense you are spouting… I am positive it is just you being bitter."
My lips turned upwards into a bitter-sweet smile. "I may be bitter, but at least I care for our son's happiness."
Kyuubi looked so taken aback by my retort that I took the chance to warp myself out before he could collect himself. Streaks of blue and white surrounded my form before they fell away to reveal the familiar inside cottage that I had conjured out of my need to live somewhere far less extravagant than Kyuubi's 'perfect, huge castle' of a home.
While at first, angered and confused on my choice of living, he eventually let me live in this cottage. It had four rooms, a sitting room, a living room, a storage room, and my resting room. Since Spirits can forgo eating and drinking for as long as they wish (most do it because they enjoy the experience of taste), there's not much of a need of this "plumbing" I've seen humans create.
Its walls have the appearance of a wooden cottage being bathed in the calming hues of the twilight. If you walked outside, you would notice the surrounding crescent of water that is the lake that I use when I brew a storm of water for the land below. Many trees and flowers dominated the realm outside my cottage and if you walked forward far enough, you would enter someone else's home realm. Behind, to the left, is the "drop-off" from the Celestial Realm to the Mortal Realm. It is there that I supervise the rising of the sun and moon.
Seeing the sight of home soothed my agitated nerves and I can feel my form slump. Tired, I trudged to my sleeping quarters and let myself crumble onto the clouds I have fashioned into a makeshift bed. With a wave of my hand, a small circle composed of white wisps formed and through it, I could see my son and that mortal child, Sasuke, climbing down from a human construct. When Naruto was at the bottom, he had jumped down as well as Sasuke, and they ended up hitting each other. Luckily, they were not far from the ground and I had made sure to rain down plenty of snow around the human cave in case of accidents.
My eyes pricked with tears at seeing my son laughing with no restraints as Sasuke shook himself free from the snow. Even though the mortal my son chose as his looked highly disgruntled, I could sense his own amusement as he reached out a hand for Naruto to grab.
It might be rough, but if I could make it so Naruto would forever smile the way he does when he's with Sasuke, then I will tear down the boundary between us with my bare hands.
~Naruto's POV~
He allows Sasuke to guide him through the place of tall caves and flashing lights. His eyes are forever wide with fascination – he did not believe humans had advanced so much since he had last been there. However…
He sneezed harshly and groaned a little at the rancid smell of the 'city'. He could hear through the hat Sasuke had put on his head small chuckles from the other. His nose was forever unhappy with the scent this jungle of metal and stone carried. He wished that it was the time of bloom so that he could plunge his being into a meadow of flowers and flush this horrid smell from his nose forever more.
Their footsteps rang clearer on the solid gray earth than they ever did on the dirt paths of Konoha. Sometimes they passed another walking person and sometimes they passed a resting person. Those mortals made him think. Why they not home sleeping?
He resolved to ask Sasuke about it. Sasuke usually knows the answer to his questions. Speaking of which-
"What is 'fiunci'?" He asked as they turned another corner. These new words felt strange to him, but Deidara's reaction had rocked his unshaken determination to not care of others' thoughts on his speech. However, Sasuke had already told him that if he feels comfortable with the way he speaks, he doesn't need to change it then.
"'Fiance', and it's a… mate to be." Sasuke replied. Mate to be? As in not mates yet? He had never heard such a thing before, usually a pair or more declared themselves mates immediately after claiming or before and it was done with.
"Why wait?"
It took a little longer for E-Sasuke to answer this. "Some people want to make the official mating special by planning it like… choosing a special place for it or who will come to the mating."
?!
"HUMANS WATCH EACH OTHER MATE!?"
"Wha!? No, well- some, BUT NOT ALL and that's just - I mean!"
?!
"Oh fuck, what the hell?!"
!?
It was after he and Sasuke calmed that Sasuke explained that no, humans do not watch each other mate and that being a fiance (or engaged) meant planning an official ceremony with a mystic to bless their union and then they mated alone, did he finally calm to ask.
"Are… Sasuke and H-I fiances?" Sasuke and he were together in the romantic sense and he certainly had no plans of letting Sasuke be with others in that way. He was confident E-Sasuke felt the same… or at least that's what he liked to believe.
"No… we're not." At seeing his frown, Sasuke continued, most likely trying to help him understand, "It's not as if I wouldn't mind… but that sort of thing is a huge commitment and isn't easily broken. I want to wait a few years before I even think of something like that. You get it, don't you?"
He nodded, smiling. He realized what Sasuke was saying - once you mate, it was forever. Spirit, mortals, whoever sometimes need space and time to get used to such an idea before they consider who they want to spend their lives with. And, he would like it if Sasuke knew for sure that he wanted to be with him forever rather than suddenly jumping into mating and regret it later.
A flash of red light caught his eye and troubles forgotten, he eagerly asked what it was. Sasuke indulged in his question about the 'traffik light' as well as anything about the metal jungle they walked through. He learned many words, some he found had some use, but others he felt were better left forgotten (why does the earth need a name like 'sidewalk'? It is already earth!).
!
His nose twitched at the scent, could it? Careful sniffing said it was! Excitement!
"Sas'ke! Woods!"
"Hmm?" Sasuke gave him fond look before looking towards where He was pointing. "…Woods? You mean that group of trees over there?"
He nodded, grinning widely. "Trees of the forest."
Sasuke made a weird sound, but he looked entertained. "They're probably trees that can be found in Konohagakure." His face became one he did not know of. He thought it was sadness, but it looked kind of held back. "… Do you miss Konoha?"
He blinked. Miss Konoha?
Of course he did. Konoha was his home and the villagers and forest animals were his friends. He had sworn to protect it and them but…
Fingers reached towards the string he still wore around his neck, but its normal weight was missing. How could he protect them if he did not have his powers? If he could not light their darkness, what use did he have? None. And… if he couldn't perform his job, then...
"He does miss Konoha… but," He nuzzled Sasuke's face, "When Sasuke leave, he will be more missed. He can visit Konoha when he wants, but he cannot visit Sasuke as easily."
Konoha needed him as their protector. Papa and Sasuke just needed him to be him.
Naruto smiled a little at that thought. He felt arms wrap around him and he relaxed into the familiar warmth as Sasuke whispered into naked ear, "Alright."
"Sasuke?"
Surprise. He glanced up from the space in Sasuke's neck and saw a pretty person with long hair tied back and white eyes. Next to them was another person with hair of the flames and grass eyes outlined with black. There was something about the boy with flames that enthralled him, but he couldn't pick up just what it was. They both wore clothing that protected their torso, legs, and heads from the cold. They were looking at him and Sasuke with confusion. Maybe they knew Sasuke?
Grinning, he waved his hand in greeting. "Sasuke's friends!"
He felt Sasuke shift before letting go completely to turn and meet the new people. "Naruto, who are you talking to- Neji? Gaara?"
Neji (he supposed that was their name since he spoke first and Sasuke said his name first) spoke this time and when he did, he quickly took back his original thought that Neji was girl. "Yeah, it's us. When did you get back home?"
"About six hours ago." Neji and Gaara made weird noises. He tilts his head at the sound. This time, he heard Gaara's rough voice.
"And you stayed in your house for that long without trying to escape? That has to be a record."
"Come off it, Sabaku." He saw Gaara/Sabaku give a wry smile before his eyes focused on him.
Neji followed, his eyebrows scrunched. He didn't seem to like him that much… "Who is he?"
H… I grinned again. "Naruto! H-I is Naruto."
Neji scowled while Gaara had a strange face and it made him want to frown, too. Has he committed a mistake? "Where do you come from? I haven't heard of you anywhere."
Sasuke interrupted then, looking around with curiosity and warning. "We should talk about that somewhere else."
The other two seemed to gain a look of understanding as they're eyes darkened slightly and they began to look out of the corners of their eyes.
"We can go to my house. It's three blocks away." Gaara said, tilting his head to the left. Sasuke looked at He and smiled back. He didn't see a problem with going with these two if Sasuke was acting friendly with them.
Eager to see more of this foreign world Sasuke lived in, he threw a fist in the air. "Let us go!"
~Kurama's POV~
How dare you. How can you? How can you just say that and leave?
"I may be bitter, but at least I care for our son's happiness."
What am I supposed to say to that? How am I supposed to defend myself? How am I supposed to tell you that's not true?
Unseeing, my feet took me away from the throne room and into my private quarters of my castle; the twists and turns of my home were nothing against my memory. In my resting room, there was a balcony in which I could see all of the Celestial Realm from.
I used it to look over my realm, but I also use it to watch you. Your personal realm is in the far northwest; far from the bustle and flashiness of the closer realms. It was at the very border of the drop-off into the mortal realm. All Gods and Goddesses kept far from it, wanting nothing to do with the mortals we leave to their own destructive vices. The same realm our son now dwells in.
Did it bother me? Of course it did! That is my son created from the both of us. However, him never having the chance to be a human at one point, he never learned the lessons of discipline and responsibility. He was looked down upon by the other spirits for not just the nature of his creation, but for his child-like personality.
I couldn't have him running around the realm, shirking off his responsibility of helping Arashi brighten the sky and warm the earth. And I certainly couldn't have him disrupting others or myself.
I had sent him down, hoping he would learn the meaning of hard work and of the benefits you may receive from it. I had sent him down to learn what it truly means to loose something important and what it means to want to protect. I did not send him down to destroy the very bonds of space and time that the Celestial Spirits have spent more than a millennia preserving.
You say you care for our son's happiness, my dear Arashi? I say that I care for my son's safety against the forces beyond even my own control.
Half Moon revisions are done! :D
Anyway, thank you for the faves and follows. I already have a good idea of what next chapter will consist of. I also think this story might be bordering 15 chapters if it's not less than 10. I don't know, that's just the feeling I get.
Please have a wonderful day/night!
~Kitsune-Ohime-Sama~
PS: Cries because revisions ARE FINALLY OVER.
...
/starts eyeing the early chapters of WSHL